When the New England Patriots opted to sign Danny Amendola over Wes Welker in the 2013 offseason and trade Logan Mankins to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in an obvious cap-saving move this offseason, we heard sourced reports about how Tom Brady was upset with the Patriots for making both moves. It’s understandable, since he lost his favorite target one offseason and then lost a reliable offensive lineman the next offseason; the only reliable OL on a shaky interior.
Musket Fire
Per Newsday’s Kimberly A. Martin, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported that Brady is “uncomfortable” with the personnel and coaching changes that the Patriots have made, and this is something the Pats should take very seriously. Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick have stated at varying points throughout Brady’s time with the team that their star QB isn’t the GM and doesn’t make those decisions, trivializing the importance of his voice.
Can you freaking stop? It’s pretty ridiculous how little the Patriots decision-makers listen to the man responsible for making them famous. Look, Belichick and Kraft are excellent at their jobs, but the fact of the matter is that Brady is the main person responsible for making them famous. I mean, what else can you say for a QB who lifted up crap receivers like Reche Caldwell or carried an atrocious defense to a Super Bowl in 2011-12?
We’ve seen teams like the Green Bay Packers make decisions based on what their star QB says, and every other team in the NFL tries to do whatever they can to surround their star QB with talent. But why don’t the Patriots do that? Brady took a paycut for them a couple of years ago, and they rewarded him with very little. I understand that they need to get younger and save money so they can build a sustainable model, but they are wasting Brady’s final years. And with the way things have gone so far this season, the worst-case scenario is that the damage is irreversible. Because, in a way, Brady’s final years of stardom could very well be over.